Phrase guide

work out

verb · 22 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌwɜːk ˈaʊt/
  • US: /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To calculate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Can you work out 250 × 12 in your head for me?
  • Can you work out how to get to the university by car?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make sense of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I can't work these instructions out.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: figure out, sort out

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To decide.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I can't work out if I like him or not.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: determine, judge, choose up, decide, find, posken, make a decision, make up one's mind, take a decision, work out

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To bring about or cause to happen by work or effort.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: hash out, hammer out
  • I think we can work out a compromise.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hash out, hammer out

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To resolve; to find a solution for.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: straighten out, sort out
  • They managed to work out their differences.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: puzzle out, reason out, think out, absolve, decipher, get to the bottom of, iron out, meliorate, ravel, resolve, riddle, sleuth, solve, tease out, unpuzzle, unravel, unriddle, unsolve, upsolve, work out, Any from Thesaurus:untangle, straighten out, sort out

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To develop or devise in detail; to elaborate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: plan out, lay out
  • to work out a plan

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plan out, lay out

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To smooth or perfect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: iron out, smooth out
  • This is a beta version; we're still working out the kinks.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: iron out, smooth out

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To conclude with the correct solution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Near-synonym: add up
  • These figures just don't work out.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: add up

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To succeed; to result in a satisfactory situation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Near-synonym: pan out
  • Are you still seeing John? – No, it didn't work out.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pan out

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To exercise, especially by lifting weights.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • John won't be here for a while because he's working out.
  • Wow, you're looking good! Do you work out?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To strengthen a part of one’s body by exercise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • To work out your core

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To earn a wage working away from one's farm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see work, out.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Examples

  • Using some tweezers, he worked the bee sting out of his hand.
  • He works out of a small office shared with three others.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To remove all the mineral that can be profitably exploited.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, mining

Examples

  • The gravel pit had been worked out.
  • A worked-out chalk pit or quarry

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

do physical exercise

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She works out in the gym every day

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: exercise

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: limber up, warm up, loosen up, train, tumble, tone, tone up, strengthen, weight-lift, weightlift, press

16

verb

Meaning 16

give a workout to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Some parents exercise their infants
  • My personal trainer works me hard
  • work one's muscles
  • this puzzle will exercise your mind

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: exercise, work

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: work, put to work

Narrower terms: warm up

17

verb

Meaning 17

come up with

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His colleagues worked out his interesting idea
  • We worked up an ad for our client

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: work up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: develop, make grow

18

verb

Meaning 18

work out in detail

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • elaborate a plan

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: elaborate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: develop, make grow

19

verb

Meaning 19

find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • did you solve the problem?
  • Work out your problems with the boss
  • this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out
  • did you get it?
  • Did you get my meaning?
  • He could not work the math problem

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: solve, figure out, puzzle out, lick, work

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: understand

Narrower terms: answer, resolve, riddle, strike, guess, infer, break

20

verb

Meaning 20

make a mathematical calculation or computation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: calculate, cipher, cypher, compute, reckon, figure

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reason

Narrower terms: quantize, quantise, extract, process, prorate, miscalculate, misestimate, recalculate, average, average out, factor, factor in, factor out, add, add together, subtract, deduct, take off, multiply, divide, fraction, interpolate, extrapolate, differentiate, integrate, survey, estimate, gauge, approximate, guess, judge, budget, capitalize, capitalise, resolve, solve

21

verb

Meaning 21

be calculated

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The fees work out to less than $1,000

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: total, number, add up, come, amount

22

verb

Meaning 22

happen in a certain way, leading to, producing, or resulting in a certain outcome, often well

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Things worked out in an interesting way
  • Not everything worked out in the end and we were disappointed

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: turn out, come out

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

118 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 計算 /计算 (jìsuàn) — to calculate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 算出 (suànchū) — to calculate
  • Czech: vypočítat — to calculate
  • Dutch: uitrekenen — to calculate
  • Finnish: laskea — to calculate
  • French: calculer — to calculate
  • German: ausrechnen — to calculate
  • Hungarian: kiszámol — to calculate
  • Lithuanian: paskaičiuoti — to calculate
  • Macedonian: пресметува (presmetuva) — to calculate
  • Polish: obliczać — to calculate
  • Polish: obliczyć — to calculate
  • Portuguese: calcular — to calculate
  • Romanian: calcula — to calculate
  • Romanian: socoti — to calculate
  • Romanian: determina — to calculate
  • Russian: рассчи́тывать (rassčítyvatʹ) — to calculate
  • Russian: рассчита́ть (rassčitátʹ) — to calculate
  • Russian: вычисля́ть (vyčisljátʹ) — to calculate
  • Russian: вы́числить (výčislitʹ) — to calculate
  • Swedish: räkna ut — to calculate
  • Swedish: beräkna — to calculate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 解釋 /解释 (jiěshì) — to make sense of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 理解 (lǐjiě) — to make sense of
  • Finnish: tajuta — to make sense of
  • Hungarian: rájön — to make sense of
  • Hungarian: ráeszmél — to make sense of
  • Hungarian: kikövetkeztet — to make sense of
  • Macedonian: разбира (razbira) — to make sense of
  • Macedonian: сфаќа (sfaḱa) — to make sense of
  • Romanian: înțelege — to make sense of
  • Romanian: desluși — to make sense of
  • Romanian: pricepe — to make sense of
  • Russian: понима́ть (ponimátʹ) — to make sense of
  • Russian: поня́ть (ponjátʹ) — to make sense of
  • Swedish: räkna ut — to make sense of
  • Swedish: få rätsida på — to make sense of
  • Czech: rozpracovat — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Danish: udarbejde — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Dutch: uitwerken — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • French: élaborer — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • German: ausarbeiten — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Hungarian: kidolgoz — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Italian: elaborare — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Romanian: elabora — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Romanian: dezvolta — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Romanian: detalia — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Romanian: pune la punct — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Russian: разраба́тывать (razrabátyvatʹ) — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Russian: разрабо́тать (razrabótatʹ) — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Swedish: utarbeta — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Ukrainian: розробля́ти (rozrobljáty) — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Ukrainian: розроби́ти (rozrobýty) — to develop or devise in detail — see also elaborate
  • Finnish: täsmätä — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Hungarian: megold — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Hungarian: rájön — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Macedonian: испаѓа (ispaǵa) — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Macedonian: излегува (izleguva) — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Romanian: rezolva — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Romanian: soluționa — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Romanian: clarifica — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Romanian: lămuri — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Swedish: gå ut — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Swedish: gå ihop — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Swedish: stämma — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Turkish: çözmek — to conclude with the correct solution
  • Azerbaijani: alınmaq — to succeed
  • Finnish: toimia — to succeed
  • German: Erfolg haben — to succeed
  • German: gelingen — to succeed
  • Hungarian: összejön — to succeed
  • Hungarian: megy — to succeed
  • Hungarian: sikerül — to succeed
  • Indonesian: berhasil — to succeed
  • Italian: funzionare — to succeed
  • Macedonian: испаѓа (ispaǵa) — to succeed
  • Macedonian: успева (uspeva) — to succeed
  • Portuguese: funcionar — to succeed
  • Portuguese: dar certo — to succeed
  • Portuguese: ter êxito — to succeed
  • Romanian: merge — to succeed
  • Romanian: funcționa — to succeed
  • Romanian: ieși bine — to succeed
  • Russian: получа́ться (polučátʹsja) — to succeed
  • Russian: преуспеть (preuspetʹ) — to succeed
  • Spanish: cuajar — to succeed
  • Spanish: salir / terminar bien — to succeed
  • Spanish: surgir — to succeed
  • Swedish: fungera — to succeed
  • Ukrainian: вихо́дити (vyxódyty) — to succeed
  • Ukrainian: ви́йти (výjty) — to succeed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 锻炼 (duàn liàn) — to exercise
  • Esperanto: ekzerci — to exercise
  • Finnish: treenata — to exercise
  • French: s'entraîner — to exercise
  • German: trainieren — to exercise
  • Greek: γυμνάζομαι (gymnázomai) — to exercise
  • Hebrew: התעמל (hit'amél) — to exercise
  • Hungarian: edz — to exercise
  • Hungarian: gyúr — to exercise
  • Hungarian: kidolgoz — to exercise
  • Indonesian: olahraga — to exercise
  • Italian: allenarsi — to exercise
  • Khmer: ហាត់ប្រាណ (hatpraan) — to exercise
  • Macedonian: вежба (vežba) — to exercise
  • Polish: ćwiczyć — to exercise
  • Portuguese: malhar — to exercise
  • Portuguese: exercitar-se — to exercise
  • Romanian: face sport — to exercise
  • Romanian: antrena — to exercise
  • Romanian: face exerciții — to exercise
  • Russian: упражняться (upražnjatʹsja) — to exercise
  • Russian: тренироваться (trenirovatʹsja) — to exercise
  • Swedish: träna — to exercise
  • Turkish: egzersiz yapmak — to exercise
  • Turkish: idman yapmak — to exercise
  • Turkish: spor yapmak — to exercise
  • Vietnamese: tập thể dục — to exercise